New York Jets Free Agency: Was Mike Tolbert On To Something?

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is not meant as a knee jerk reaction to the Jets being quiet in the first hours of free agency, it is just an interesting point brought up by one of our writers, Matt Fritz, to consider in the coming days – JC

–

“They do sometimes have that whole media circus thing going on and I’m not the type of person that gets into the whole limelight thing and throwing players under the bus and stuff like that. I like letting my play do the talking.” – San Diego RB Mike Tolbert

I happen to think Tolbert’s comments about New York and the Jets are pretty much right on point. Maybe the Jets need more guys with his kind of mentality, guys who let their play do the talking rather than saying things without backing it up. Perhaps Rex should take a long look at what Tolbert said. The fact is, that’s coming from a player, not from a coach who believes by guaranteeing a Super Bowl win, that it will actually happen.

The sad thing is, I do believe a lot of free agents shy away from the Jets because it truly has been a media circus. Sure you’re going to get that in New York regardless, but it didn’t seem like the Giants had a problem overcoming that. Why? Because they have players who let their game do the talking.

We all know that Rex Ryan is the ultimate player’s coach, but I think you are starting to see players hesitate from coming to the Jets because there are too many outside distractions right now. What player would want to come to a locker room where guys are constantly being thrown under the bus? Moreover, who wants to join a team in which its captain was one of those players who threw his teammates under the bus?

I don’t think Mike Tolbert was saying anything we don’t already know. Unfortunately it’s guys who have that mentality that the Jets desperately need more of. Now that’s not to say there aren’t guys on the Jets roster right now who see things the same way, but there are too many of them that are about the limelight.

Now that the Jets are 0 for 3 in the Rex Ryan era at obtaining that Super Bowl, after guaranteeing and coming up short, what does that show to potential free agents? When the Jets don’t make or even win the Super Bowl, it’s that much more obvious to everybody, because of the guarantees and the talking that goes on off the field.